A Tornado, a Pandemic, a House Fire, and a Bomb: One Chef’s Chaotic First Year in Nashville | Eater Nashville

"After accepting the executive chef position at the 21c Hotel’s ground-floor restaurant, I stepped into a job that quickly became defined by crisis response as much as service. Gray & Dudley itself avoided physical damage in the tornado, but my team and I immediately jumped in to help—sous chefs Brad Webb and Eddie Badillo made sandwiches for World Central Kitchen, and we opened our dining room to serve “family meal” for anyone affected or displaced, with donations from Bear Creek Farm, Greener Roots, and Southern Natural Farms. Reopening in July felt like a relief and a moral win—every hour open meant a teammate could work—but running the restaurant through pandemic-era distancing, masked guests, and constantly shifting rules made every service a new challenge." - Delia Jo Ramsey